Chargers Pee-Wee squad wins Cheer Superbowl

Bobbi Spehr's two daughters may have aged out of the Coral Springs Chargers Cheerleaders program, but her passion for coaching has not followed suit.

In fact, her true love of head coaching, the Pee-Wee program this year, is still evident as her squad recently won the Cheer Superbowl.

Her girls won first place in the Pee-Wee Division and were named grand champions after amassing the highest score out of more than 50 teams that day in the Coral Springs Gymnasium.

"After their routine, I was in tears. They hit everything perfectly and had a flawless performance where everything all came together," Spehr said of her group of 23 cheerleaders, who range in age from 5 to 8. "All season long, I kept re-enforcing a positive attitude and with building confidence. I knew they could do anything to make their skill levels and self-esteem better."

Chargers Cheer Commissioner Kim Valldeperas said she was proud of the girls' performance.

"They did excellent. The girls went out and showed what the Coral Springs Chargers Cheerleaders are all about, even at such a young age," Valldeperas said. "Our program's cheerleaders' quest for determination and excellence shows at the youngest level, too."

During their 2-minute, 20 second routine, the girls incorporated all required elements of stunts and pyramids, jumps and toe-touches, and dance moves. But their success was not handed to them. It was a commitment of three to five practices each week, which is where the parents played an integral role in the team's success, affording the girls an opportunity to have excelled.

"There was so much progression from that first week of practice until the competition," said Max Andre of his 6-year-old daughter Arielle on the Chargers Peewee squad. "Everything looked great and in sync, and you could tell this was a cohesive group that worked hard and well together,"

It is from this entry level of cheerleading that has built up the Chargers' spirit over the decades, and even at the Peewee level, this season had about a 40 percent return rate from last year.

"This year, they learned how to work as a team even more," Spehr said. "But more than anything, my girls believed in themselves and developed a lot of skills that they can bring back next season."